It should be no surprise that we at The ClassicCars.com Journal don’t always agree on automotive topics (and, no, it’s not the cliché of Mustang versus Camaro). There’s always a respectful level of debate leading to agreement or meeting in the middle — in other words, the exact opposite of the U.S. Congress. Occasionally, there may be a disagreement that may require a third party, which is why I am presenting to you, dear readers, the latest topic of discussion: Is stating a vehicle’s odometer mileage with qualifiers like “actual,” “original,” or “true” meaningful?
Here’s two schools of thought:
Side A: Qualifiers when it comes to mileage are superfluous and are not needed when talking about a vehicle — comments like “78,000 original miles” sound like nonsense. Pedigree, features, and the story of a vehicle are more substantive than a qualifier about mileage.
Side B: Vehicle miles should have qualifiers due to the state of the engine. For example, if a vehicle is unrestored, it is worth mentioning what shows on the odometer is the “actual,” “original,” or “true” mileage.
What say you, automotive faithful? Do you lean towards Side A or B? Is there a side we have not considered? Tell us in the Comments section below.
